Come in, come in! What’s that? You expected a boring history lesson? Not today! There’s no time for boredom when we’re talking about candles. Pull up a chair, relax, and open the eyes of your imagination for a while. You’ll come out of this rich with knowledge and happier, too!

Most history lessons are filled with dates, names, and places – a lot of stuff that the average person isn’t going to be too thrilled to read. To make this more fun, we’ll just talk about some of the really interesting highlights – the rest you can discover on your own using the Internet or a good candle book.

They say that the best place to begin a story is at the beginning, so why don’t we talk about the first candle? Did you know that no one really has any idea who made the first candle? All the scholars agree that someone must have, but we don’t know any specifics. Whoever it was, I doubt they had any idea that candles would become such an important part of tradition and history all over the world.

We do know that some of the oldest candles have been found in and around ancient Egypt – candles that are over 5,000 years old!  The Egyptians and Cretans were having candle-light dinners before we figured out that the world was round.

The first candles used natural fats, wax, and tallow, and were used as a light source – later they became primary participants in a great number of ceremonies. Egyptian kings were said to use candles for a large number of purposes, including simple admiration. Candles, to this day, have a special gift for changing moods and altering the feel of a room.

Religions of all sorts found that candles were ideal for ceremonies, meditation, and even simple comfort. Candles have always had a special ambiance that fits with themes of love and faith, making them ideal candidates for everything from Christianity to Wicca. The use of candles in worship continues still today, although the candles are no longer all made of beeswax or animal fats – paraffin and soy candles have largely replaced them. The meditative properties of candles have made them very popular amongst Buddhists as well.

Did you know that candles have been used to tell time? Before we had watches and cell-phone alarms, candles were often burned to keep the time. People discovered early on that a candle would burn at a remarkably steady rate, making them perfect to tell their owners about the passing of each hour.

Candles are used to tell time even today – although in a slightly different way. In some families it’s tradition to burn a specially marked candle a little bit each day to mark the approach of Christmas. It’s also still used in many traditional ceremonies outside of religion and holiday celebrations – including birthdays! In the past several decades, they have even become a symbol of reason and logic.

More recently, candles have found a new line of work – aromatherapy. Meditative candles and refreshing scents, all in the same package? No wonder they make the ideal choice for a relaxing, invigorating change of pace!

If you would like some more information, or want to own a piece of candle history, a great place to start is to experience the delights of a modern, hand-made soy candle today. Check out our fine selection at HappyMomentsCandle.com!